Week 1

As I begin my journey through the School Counseling program, I am also ready to begin a journey of better understanding myself.  I always knew I held the power to change certain aspects of myself and my life. However, what I hope to learn is, to what extent? and how to go about it?  My hope is that this class, and this book, will share a way of working towards change.

I was glad the first chapter highlighted some of the significant people that have contributed to the humanistic approach.  On Tuesday night, we were asked to share what we already knew about Carl Jung.  Immediately, my brain started searching for any information I possibly knew about this name.  Then I quickly determined that I had never heard this name before.  As I read the section on Jung, one part that really stood out to me was the idea of our “shadow side”.  Our public side is only part of who we are.  As stated in Corey & Corey (2008), “we must accept the shadow side of our nature with our primitive impulses such as selfishness and greed.  If we deny the shadow aspects of our personality, they are more likely to control us and have a negative influence on our behavior.”  I began to think about experiences in my past and times where I may have denied feelings. And then in addition to that, began to think about how it possibly influenced my behavior and body. Jung’s idea also taught me that the shadow side does not need to dominate an individual, but a person simply needs to recognize that it is part of them.

The Furr & Carroll (2003) article focused on critical incidents.  They defined a critical incident as a positive or negative experience that is recognized as significant because it influences the student’s development as a counselor.  As I reflect on my experiences so far, there is one that stands out as a critical incident.  During the interview for the School Counseling program, we were each asked to interview another student for 3 minutes.  During my time as interviewer, I was so concerned with coming up with questions, that my listening skills suffered because of it.  When our time was up and I returned to my seat, I asked myself, “What do you know about this person?”  I could restate 2 or 3 basic facts the person stated about themselves.  I was so upset and disappointed with myself.  Before this critical incident I knew my listening skills were one area I wanted to improve, but now I realize it is something I must always be aware of.  As a result of this incident, the other night in class I was aware of my chances to listen and can tell you much more about the students I spoke with. :)

Corey, G. , & Corey, M.S. (2008). I never knew I had a choice: Explorations in personal growth (9^th ed.). Belmont, California: Thompson Brooks/Cole. ISBN: 9780495602293.

Furr, S. R., & Carroll, J. J. (2003). Critical Incidents in Student Counselor Development. Journal Of Counseling & Development, 81(4), 483-489.